Absolute Values and the New World Order

Honorable chairman, distinguished scholars, respected guests, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to speak to you at this Opening Plenary Session of the 19th International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences and the fifth Professors World Peace Academy World Congress. I wholeheartedly welcome you to my homeland of Korea.

God is the origin of the principle of the universe

Last year, in addition to the ICUS, we had two very special conferences, the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP) and the Federation for World Peace. These two organizations were established to create a New World Order. The Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, in particular, is dedicated to uniting the world's religions for the purpose of establishing world peace. In the recent Gulf War, we witnessed how the world fell into a religious war. Global disaster continues to flare up. Until now, many politicians have exploited religious conflicts for their own selfish purposes. Religions have been powerless and confused, not clearly recognizing their responsibility in relation to world peace. Now, through the IRFWP, leaders from the world's religions will harmonize and become leaders for world peace.

Religion must be the conscience of every culture, setting the standard of public righteousness. Each religion takes pride in upholding its own traditions without ceasing. Every person believes their own religion to be better than all other religions. However, religious teachings not only have universal factors, but also they all stem from God.

After all, the one God is the God of all religions. Therefore, religions need to emphasize their universal principles and, by doing so, purify and elevate themselves. The central value in each religion is God's true love, which can be described by the teaching, "Live for the sake of others."

The individual lives for the sake of the family; the family lives for the sake of the community; the community lives for the sake of the nation; the nation lives for the sake of the world. Likewise, my religion lives for the sake of other religions. This principle is true.

The source of this universal principle is God. In creating the universe, God invested Himself totally for the sake of His creation. Throughout history, it is God who has been continually sacrificing Himself in order to save fallen human beings, who have been living just as they desire. The prophets, saints and sages who knew God's will have followed God's principles in their own lives.

Not content to keep the truth to themselves, they have walked the way of sacrifice in order to teach others. Moses, Confucius, Buddha, Mohammed, Socrates and Jesus are saints who suffered hardships and were persecuted, even as they taught people. They sacrificed their lives in order to enlighten and liberate humanity.

The Federation for World Peace is a cooperative federation of politicians and national organizations. Today's world cannot be maintained by nationalism. The current flare-up of ethnic violence in Eastern Europe only demonstrates its destructive nature. National pride and self-determination are good and right only when they are dedicated to serving the world community. Nationalism which places "my nation first" and promotes hatred of other nations goes against the universal principle of living for the sake of others. All such "isms" which go against the universal principle are destined to decline.

Now we are seeing a trend where nations are joining to form multinational associations, such as the European Community. This trend will intensify in the coming years. All over the world, nations will unite in regional communities: The United States of Europe, the East Asian community, the community of Islam, the community of African nations, the community of North and South America.

Religious harmony and unity are necessary preconditions for peace

In order that politicians may transcend national self-interest, there must be unifying values which different nations share. What can unite the nations of Europe? Economic policies alone are insufficient. There are still many disputes between industrialized nations and nations with agrarian economies. Social policies are another source of contention. If we can identify a single common factor in the European Community, it is its Christian culture.

When compared with people from the Middle East or Asia, it is evident that Europeans share many things in common: a common culture, common social customs and, most important, a common way of thinking and worldview. The root of this common European culture is the Christian spirit. Christian culture is the foundation for the intellectual, social and political life of Europe.

However, throughout history European Christianity itself has struggled with serious divisions. As can be seen from the strife in Northern Ireland and in Yugoslavia, we can realize that their conflicts stem from unresolved religious struggles among Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Therefore, religious harmony and unity are the necessary preconditions for political and social peace and unity.

A future ideal world will consist of communities of nations, with each community bound together by a common religion and culture and united through economic and political relationships. I foresaw this trend many years ago. That is why for more than forty years I have been promoting inter-religious activities, pursuing dialogue and harmony, despite the many sacrifices I have had to make.

For an ideal world to be realized in the future, we need to be able to prevent religious war. To solve this problem, I have been laying with painstaking care the foundation that can embrace all religions. Before I began my ministry, I took the Principle that was revealed to me and presented it before Jesus, Buddha, Confucius and the Prophet Muhammad in the spirit world, and they attested that it was true.

Now leaders of every religion recognize that to substantiate a world of peace all religious people must center on the original teaching and take positive steps to make harmony with each other. It is my God-ordained mission to bring the world into unity under God.

The Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace and the Federation for World Peace will work together as mind and body. Until now, fallen people have been allowing the body to dominate their individual lives, creating a world of selfish individuals, oppressing others for their own pleasures.

This is hell on earth. Only a few people have followed the voice of conscience, emanating from the mind, which spurs them to pursue religion and to resist the temptations of the body. Only these people can meet God and find heaven on earth. Likewise, few national politicians have listened to the voice of religion. Amid the clamor of politics, the voice of moral and spiritual values has been heard only faintly. In the West as well as the East, politicians have tried to establish prosperity on economic and political policies without God. Their efforts have been and will be in vain. No nation can prosper without God's blessing. God blesses those nations practicing faith, morality and the principle of living for the sake of others.

Yet politicians still look only to the earth, blind to Heaven's influence. Communist leaders tried for seventy years to establish prosperity without God, and now their nations are bankrupt. Likewise the West is plagued by recession, crime and social decay.

However, these problems will not be resolved until religious leaders open their eyes and discover their true cause. When religious leaders unite for the sake of world peace under God, the politicians will obey the teachings of religion.

Then and only then will we be able to solve our social and economic problems. Only then will the nations of the world naturally unite on the path of peace. The Inter-religious Federation for World Peace and the Federation for World Peace will succeed where the United Nations and many other organizations have not, because these federations are based on the foundation of the Principle.

The greatest task of our generation

Respected scholars! The role of scholars in developing the future ideal world is exceedingly important. This role is necessary to ensure a well-rounded education for all the world's citizens and dynamic communication between all segments of society. People learn to build their character through their families, churches, schools and social organizations. These need to cooperate with one another continuously in order to raise individuals of integrity who can nurture a civilized society.

The greatest task of our generation is how to implement this well-rounded education in our pluralistic global village. You scholars are the treasure house of knowledge in society. However, your students learn more from the person you are than from the knowledge you teach.

Students imitate the teacher's habits, inherit the teacher's attitudes about society and are influenced deeply by the teacher's sense of values. You should always stand in the position of a teacher and strive to be inspiring examples for the future. Your mission, which is to set up a new cultural tradition rooted in the absolute value of true love, which originates in God, is precious indeed.

As you know, this conference has been organized as part of the first World Culture and Sports Festival. This is a historical event, guiding the spiritual culture of humanity, searching for true values for humanity's happiness, and leading the way to a new world of peace and harmony among God, people and nature. It is a Festival gathering the world's scholars, religious figures, journalists, politicians and youth leaders, as members of the global community, combining their collective wisdom and practical experience regarding the unity of humankind.

On August 25, approximately thirty thousand couples from all regions of the world will receive the holy blessing, pledging to establish a new family tradition centered on God. The family is the most fundamental building block of society. The solution to all social problems begins with the solution to problems in the family.

The ideal of "one world family in true love" transcending races is directly related to the fulfillment of a peaceful world. People pledging to become exemplary God-centered couples, creating blessed families, will provide a substantial model of ethics and morality. In this way, ideal families, societies, nations and an ideal world, representing the fruit of true love, will be realized.

The fact that sixty thousand people of the world are gathering to receive the Blessing symbolizes unity under God and True Parents. I invite all of you to attend this historic Blessing ceremony. In conclusion, I would like to introduce to you three projects that I am planning and promoting.

The first is a book of scriptures, which I already have published, that strives to unite ideologies and the religious world. The second is an encyclopedia bringing together the wisdom and cultures of humanity in the twenty-first century, which the International Cultural Foundation has begun composing. Third and last is the University of Bridgeport, which I acquired for the World University Federation to promote the exchange of knowledge and the worldwide exchange of professors and students. These three new projects will contribute greatly toward creating and advancing a world of the new culture in the future global village.

Once again, I want to express my gratitude to all of you for attending this meaningful conference in Seoul. I am very grateful, especially, to Dr. Gerholm who has worked very hard as the ICUS chairman, and to Dr. Kaplan who is giving his utmost effort for the worldwide development of PWPA. May your discussions at this conference be very fruitful. I pray for God's protection and blessing to be with you and your families.